Varnish making from start to finish - Preparazione della vernice dall'inizio alla fine

⬇️⬇️ (English translation of text and captions) ⬇️⬇️
Linoxin varnish making from start to finish
My varnish is composed of raw shellac (Seedlac), linoxin and Greek mastic dissolved in alcohol. For the preparation it is important to dissolve each resin separately in order to understand the real quantity that will remain in the varnish after filtering for the elimination of impurities and insoluble residues, making the residue left in the filter dry completely and weighing it to obtain the entity of the residue by subtracting the weight of the filter, to obtain the amount of resins that will actually be in the varnish by subtracting from the initial quantities the weight of the residue lost for each resin. It always starts with shellac because it is the hardest resin and the proportions of the other components will be established on the basis of its actual quantity. Then Linoxin and Mastic will be added. The long stay of the shellac in alcohol causes its esterification with consequent inability to harden completely, it is therefore important not to make large quantities of varnish and to use it within a year of its preparation. The quantities indicated are sufficient to varnish a violin with a large margin (maximum two violins).
Actual resin quantities may vary and will need to be calculated each time a new batch of varnish is prepared.
The varnish thus composed is very liquid to allow filtering in filter paper and it will be necessary to reduce it to about half the volume by boiling to evaporate the excess alcohol, to make it suitable for application by brush.
!!WARNING!!
To prevent the risks associated with the vapors of toxic and flammable solvents, it is recommended to carry out the boiling operations in well-ventilated areas (possibly outdoors), carefully avoiding breathing in the vapors, and using only an electric hotplate, avoiding open flames.
RECIPE:
01:32 - Dissolve 50 g of raw shellac (Seedlac) in 300 ml (240 g) of food-grade alcohol. Boil for 15 minutes, remove from the hotplate and allow to cool. Reintegrate the evaporated alcohol with boiling and filter in filter paper (about 20 hours). Weight of the lost residue: 24.8 g - Actual shellac in the varnish: 25.8 g05:18 - Dissolve 7 g of Linoxin in 50 ml of food-grade alcohol. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from the hotplate and allow to cool. Filter in filter paper directly into shellac (about 1 hour). Weight of the lost residue: 0.3 g - Actual linoxin in the varnish: 6.7 g (ratio of about 1: 4 with actual shellac)
08:06 - Dissolve 3.5 g of Mastic in 50 ml of food-grade alcohol. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from the hotplate and allow to cool. Filter in filter paper directly into Shellac + Linoxin (about 15 minutes). Weight of the lost residue: 0,6 g - Actual mastic in the varnish: 2,9 g (ratio of about 1: 8 with the actual shellac)
Total of actual resins in the varnish: 35.4 g - Shellac 72.8% - Linoxin 19% - Mastic 8.2%
Actual resin quantities may vary and will be calculated for each new batch of varnish.
11:34 - The varnish thus composed is very liquid to allow filtering in filter paper and it will be necessary to reduce it to about half the volume by boiling to evaporate the excess alcohol, to make it suitable for application by brush. To evaluate the dilution, put a few drops on a smooth glass allowing them to dry completely, evaluating the diameter of the circle, the thickness of the margin and of the film. At the same time, transparency and color can also be evaluated.Concentrate small quantities of varnish at a time (150 ml) to minimize the risks associated with the evaporation of toxic and flammable solvents, operating only in well-ventilated areas
12:49 - Reduction of 1/3 from 150 ml to 100 ml after 20 minutes of boiling - Allow to cool completely before carrying out the glass test13:34 - The varnish is still too diluted - Boil for another 5 minutes to further concentrate
14:42 - Reduction of 1/2 from the initial 150 ml to 75 ml after 20 + 5 minutes of boiling - Allow to cool completely before carrying out the test on the glass
15:39 - 1) Before concentration, dilution ok for filtering 2) After 20 minutes of boiling, volume decreased by 1/3, still too liquid 3) After another 5 minutes of boiling, volume decreased by 1/2, Ok for the application
16:24 - For the application of the varnish I use sable brushes, a 6 mm cat's tongue (filbert) brush for the scroll, the heel, and the edges, and a 30 mm wide flat one for the sides, the back, and the top. After dipping it in the varnish, drain the brush well by passing it 8/10 times on the edge of the jar to avoid flows or accumulation at the edges of the brush strokes. Due to the alcoholic solvent you have only a few seconds to apply the varnish, so it is recommended to resist the temptation to insist on the same brushstroke several times.
#costruzioneviolino #violinmaking

[@TJ-vw2ds]

I’m an amateur luthier and i learn so much with your video. Really thank you

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

Same

[@Shawnpups]

So pretty! the flames on the ribs and back are really brilliant. I love the choice of a lighter varnish with no antique-ing.

[@DavideSora]

Thanks! But to be fair I must tell you that what you see in this video is only the base varnish in the first coats of the application, which will then be followed by other coats of varnish with added colored pigments (mostly red lakes from Madder and Cochineal). The final color can be made lighter or more intense based on the number of colored coats and the amount and type of pigments added. This yellow hue could of course also be left as is, but not many people seem to like this golden yellow color, a red color is more traditionally regarded as the typical color of violins. You can see an example of the color of a finished violin of mine here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaulpGqnh9ZjmcU or in the videos of this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLaxadm6POX7GQTPVDo5tDrHPHL--5hg5q

[@jucamartins1201]

Grazie Maestro per la tua disponibilità e l'affetto che hai con noi. Da principiante alla Lugheria, imparo molto dai tuoi video. Mi chiamo Gervásio Martins e vivo in Brasile. Dio vi benedica.

[@corderoliuteria7043]

Grazie mille Maestro! É anche un piacere guardare i suoi videii. Saluti!

[@jaminvincent5690]

Complimenti !!! Il video é perfetto. 🎻🎻🎻💯

[@edersonamorim3067]

Dear Davide, thank you so much for sharing your precious knowledge with us. I have some questions about varnish: is it necessary to add alcohol to the varnish as we use it in order to maintain the same viscosity? I varnished a violin with spirit varnish, about a month ago, it dried out but it didn't harden enough. Is there any possibility that it will harden over time? Maybe the uv light would help? I used shellac, mastic and sandarac. I really appreciate your work (near perfection) and your generosity. Thank you very much! Ciao!

[@DavideSora]

Yes, it is necessary to replenish the alcohol that evaporates while we keep the jar open during the application of each coat of varnish. This is done by eye, evaluating the viscosity of the varnish while gently shaking the jar. After a month the varnish should be reasonably hardened, certainly not so soft that it takes the imprint of the case or to slide off under the pressure of the bridge feet. If your varnish is composed only of alcohol, shellac, sandarac, and mastic and freshly made it should be quite hard and though. If it remains soft, the causes could be different, for example if you have added essences such as lavender oil or other essential oils, which never evaporate completely, or if it has been dissolved in alcohol for a long time, in this case it will never harden properly due to the esterification process of shellac in contact with alcohol. Another cause could be that you have applied too many coats a day and have not given time to dry each coat well, so the alcohol gets trapped in the layers and keeps the varnish soft. However in this case it will harden properly over time, but it may take several months or years, depending on the thickness of the varnish layer. UV lamps cannot do anything because there is nothing to polymerize as is the case for oil varnishes.

[@bluehoo0]

Thank you David for demonstrating the making of this varnish, it’s very generous of you to share this with us thank you again. Would I be correct in saying that this varnish will be vastly superior to the 1704 varnish?

[@DavideSora]

1704 is a good varnish that works, I also used it in the first years of my activity, but it has the disadvantage of containing the waxy parts of shellac and elemi as an elasticizing element, which are less transparent and more plastic than really elastic. In this sense, very old Linoxin is much better as it always remains elastic and also contributes to the golden yellow color significantly, while shellac and elemi tend towards a lighter and less interesting yellow. Acoustically it is more difficult to establish neat differences, but due to the aforementioned characteristic, I believe that Linoxin is also superior in this aspect.

[@bluehoo0]

@@DavideSora Thanks for explaining the different between the two.

[@moneypenny174]

Maestro, thank you for answering my previous question on a different video. In this video I noticed the beautiful 2 piece Amati style back. Kindly tell me how you joined this type of back. I mean, when joining it, did you book match it and then flip one side to get this effect? Or was something else done to make the flames slant in the same direction? Thank You

[@DavideSora]

I did as in your first hypothesis, book-matched and with one half flipped lengthwise. It can be done with the wood of any book-matched back, there are no particular precautions to obtain this effect. But not all flame patterns match well this way, they have to give the idea of flowing as if in one piece back

[@moneypenny174]

@@DavideSora thank you Maestro.

[@bluehoo0]

Davide could the replacement of the evaporated alcohol be calculated by weight. So weighing before boiling then replacing alcohol to achieve the original weight. Also the 7 grams of Linoxin would replacing it directly with 7grams of Elemi work? Thank you for explaining your varnish making method, also best wishes for the new year.🎉

[@DavideSora]

Yes, alcohol loss can be more accurately calculated by weight. Calculating it by volume is more practical, but it's essentially the same thing, you don't need extreme accuracy. Regarding Elemi, I haven't done accurate tests, but using more or less the same quantities as Linoxin should be fine. The only way, and this also applies to linoxin, which changes its elastic properties depending on aging, is to rely on one's own results in the finished violins: if the varnish gives us the sensation of being too soft or too hard, we will have to decrease or increase the ratio between soft and hard resins used. It's trivial, but when you're dealing with intrinsically variable natural materials, that's how it works. This is also why it's best to keep things simple (few paint components) so you can figure out which one is responsible if there's a problem. If you use many different resins and solvents as in some 19th and 20th century varnishes you won't be able to understand much, a real nightmare if you need to refine the properties of your varnish.😉

[@bluehoo0]

​@@DavideSoraThank you Davide

[@gdpjm]

David , if you don’t mind me asking how many coats of your varnish do you put on to get that deep beautiful color?

[@DavideSora]

Hi Berl, what you see in the video is the application of the third coat of "colorless" (without pigments) varnish. Linoxin contributes a lot to the beauty of this nice yellow shade, but of course the underlying wood is not white and has been tanned about a week in the UV box and by the application of the casein which, due to its basic pH, darkens the wood by further oxidation.

[@peterbartalesi6655]

Bellissimo video! C'é un modo per sostituire la Linossina durante il tempo di attesa della sua preparazione? Saluti!

[@DavideSora]

Grazie! Puoi usare l'Elemi, non è la stessa cosa ma penso sia la migliore alternativa. Sostanzialmente puoi fare la "vernice 1704" molto usata in liuteria, che oltre all'Elemi conserva anche la cera presente nella gommalacca grezza (seedlac) come ulteriore elemento plastificante. Puoi vederla qui: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWHIqKGNlt16Y7c

[@peterbartalesi6655]

@@DavideSora Grazie mille!

[@yannickmelchior1774]

Ciao Maestro Ottimo video, sto imparandos molto con il tuo modo di lavorare. Potresti darmi gli indirizzi dove acquisti i tuoi prodotti vernicianti. Grazie in anticipo per il vostro aiuto. Cordiali saluti Yannick MELCHIOR

[@DavideSora]

Il negozio che mi sento di consigliare è Kremer: www.kremer-pigmente.com/it/ Trovi un po' tutto quello che serve per le vernici di liuteria, e di ottima qualità.

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

How much is the temperature @ 1:54 ?

[@DavideSora]

It is the boiling point of the varnish (just the seedlac at this point), which is an alcoholic solvent and so is determined by the boiling point of ethyl alcohol, i.e. 78°C. Actually, the varnish will boil at around 80°C, due to the presence of resins in the alcohol which raises the boiling point a little. It wouldn't be strictly necessary to use a thermometer, just bring it to a gentle boil (no overboiling, please), but the glass rod of the thermometer is very convenient for stirring and preventing it from boiling too vigorously. You need to adjust the hotplate so that it comes to a boil slowly and in a very controlled manner.

[@patiwatudon3846]

How is the neck coat made? Thanks for your advice

[@DavideSora]

The white part that covers the neck is a simple sheet of paper, the one that protects the gluing surface of the fingerboard is made of wood (in this case Olive tree wood) but it can also be made with plywood, as you can see in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6a0d2SIhNyNeZI

[@manuelstumpo9523]

Buonasera. Per evitare che il legno assorba troppa vernice, non dovrebbe esserci un turapori? Cosa mi consiglia di fare in base alla sua esperienza? Grazie

[@DavideSora]

Io applico prima un impregnante proteico alla caseina, e poi un turapori fatto con mastice, trementina e pomice. Lo puoi vedere in questi video: Caseina: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opbbqX6Nd62rY6s Mastice e trementina: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZzNopakn79rlZY

[@andrzejtruchan5236]

I hi maestro I don't have linoxin Can tell me wat use different Resin for varnish

[@DavideSora]

An alternative resin is elemi, obviously not the same, but it can work reasonably well. The color will be lighter because elemi is practically colorless while oxidized linoxin has a brownish-red color which gives the varnish pleasant amber reflections, warming up the final colour.

[@user-st6gh1eo4n]

Grazie maestro! Vorrei chiedere se Lei può fare un video per come si fa lo smusso nero? Buonaserata

[@DavideSora]

Non ho un video, ma ho fatto questo articolo che spiega nel dettaglio il procedimento: davidesora.altervista.org/articoli/lannerimento-degli-smussi/ Alla fine dell'articolo trovi anche l'icona per scaricare il Pdf in italiano e anche in inglese

[@user-st6gh1eo4n]

Oh, grazie mille!!

[@andrzejtruchan5236]

Wich seedlac u used Indian bisacki

[@DavideSora]

I don't know the exact name, which usually indicates origin rather than quality. Anyway, I have these: www.kremer-pigmente.com/en/shop/mediums-binders-glues/60490-seed-lac.html www.kremer-pigmente.com/en/shop/mediums-binders-glues/60430-stick-lac.html Both are fine, the stick lac I have has a color with more orange-brown nuances, and the seedlac is more golden yellow. Both are the same type of resin, i.e. shellac

[@user-rj4md4ou7o]

Maestro hello from Greece...!!! IN THE WINTER THE VARNISH FREEZES .HOW CAN WARM UP THE VARNISH IN ORDER TO PAINT THE VIOLIN?

[@DavideSora]

With alcoholic solvent, it is impossible to heat the varnish to apply it, because you would only obtain faster solvent evaporation with serious application problems. What you need to do is warm up the environment where you varnish, if the room temperature is below 19° C you cannot apply varnish successfully. If you cannot heat the room, you must avoid the colder periods, probably the ancients only varnished their violins in the summer or in any case in the hot and sunny periods of the year, reserving the winter only for construction.

[@user-rj4md4ou7o]

@@DavideSora Thank you very much! is the same way also for oil varnish?

[@DavideSora]

@@user-rj4md4ou7o Oil-based varnish can be heated for application, especially if it is very thick and contains little or no solvent. The boiling point of solvents such as turpentine or petroleum is much higher than alcohol so they can handle slight heating. In any case, in cold environments, it is always better not to varnish, even oil varnish will need heat and sun (or UV) to dry properly

[@user-rj4md4ou7o]

@@DavideSora thank you for your advice.can you tell me specifically how to heat it?...in Bain Marie. ?

[@DavideSora]

@@user-rj4md4ou7o Yes, a bain-marie is a good system, but the paint doesn't need to be heated very much, just assessed by eye that the fluidity has improved and that the varnish can be spread easily. Varnishes are not all the same, so it is impossible to establish an ideal temperature. The best thing remains that the varnish has the correct fluidity at a room temperature between 20° and 30°, without having to heat it.

[@Aecarvalho007]

Maestro if I may ask, what do you apply over the casein sealer to get that golden colour coat on top of which you applied the linoxyn varnish?

[@DavideSora]

What you see in the video is the application of the third coat of varnish, the golden yellow color is therefore mainly given by the two previous coats of varnish. Of course, the underlying wood is not white, but has been colored by about a week of exposure in the UV box and then by the application of the casein solution which, due to its basic pH, darkens the wood by further oxidation. I would like to point out that this oxidation coloring (UV and casein) has very low penetration and affects only the surface layers of the wood (less than about a tenth of a millimeter of penetration) and does not affect the underlying layers in any way, so it is important not to carry out sanding or finishing of any kind before applying the varnish, otherwise it would be very easy to get an uneven and blotchy result.

[@Aecarvalho007]

@@DavideSora so maestro from what I understand, once the plain white wood is fully worked on, you put the white violin in the UV box for one week at least then apply casein sealer, and then simply the build up of linoxyn varnish in layers correct?

[@DavideSora]

@@Aecarvalho007 After the Casein I also apply a solution of Mastic dissolved in turpentine and added with pumice, which acts as a refractive ground and pore filler but does not give a great contribution to the color, it only makes it more lively. If you don't have a UV box or don't have the patience to wait a week to develop the tanning (or even more, the more the better), you can use chemical oxidants such as some form of Nitrite (sodium or potassium), or some equivalent commercial product such as this: www.cremonatools.it/old-wood-1700-italian-golden-ground-1700-a-b-2-x-125-cc.html The color will not be the same, but many luthiers use these systems

[@Aecarvalho007]

@@DavideSora amazing, yes I have tried local rosin in turpentine for one instrument but it took a really long time to dry, will try mastic

[@DavideSora]

@@Aecarvalho007 if you don't use a UV box even mastic takes about a week to dry. 24/48 hours in the UV box

[@andrzejtruchan5236]

Hi How make dark tiger flame For back plate & ribs

[@DavideSora]

Just to give me an idea of what you mean, do you think the violin you see at the end of this video could match your description of "dark tiger flames"? Or do you mean something more "dramatic"?

[@andrzejtruchan5236]

Idont know how to made tiger like this First cazein then therpentine Then stain tiger flame?

[@andrzejtruchan5236]

Can you help me show how too do

[@DavideSora]

@@andrzejtruchan5236 First of all, it is necessary to have deep-flamed wood, you will never be able to obtain a marked effect with poorly flamed wood. My process starts with exposing the white violin (bare wood) for about 250 hours or more to UVA light using the UV box you see in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWekZ5-hod-HhK8 With this treatment, the wood darkens and increases the contrast of the flames through natural oxidation, without risking the uneven coloring that would be obtained with stains that some luthiers use (water or alcohol-based stains), which in addition to the risk of uneven staining can cause blocking flames, which isn't nice at all, Then, the Casein sealer contributes to color and oxidation, and Mastic and Turpentine increase the contrast and brightness of wood figures. Alternatively, chemical oxidants can be used such as sodium or potassium nitrite, or some commercial oxidizing system (such as Oldwood Italian ground A+B, which is mainly sodium nitrite) and the aforementioned water stains used with skill, but for me, natural oxidation through UV is the one that offers the best results and the best control, chemical oxidants and water stains are rather unpredictable because the wood does not always react in the same way, and the risks of irreversible failure are always lurking. Furthermore, the long-term effect of chemical treatments always remains unknown, both aesthetically and acoustically. Basically, it is the whole system starting from the finishing of the wood, and then the treatments and varnishing to determine the final result, it is probably one of the most difficult things to achieve, many attempts and tests on scrap wood are needed

[@Adrian_AdamViolonDiGerma-tm3nq]

Finished results?

[@DavideSora]

Here they are: kzbin.info/aero/PLaxadm6POX7GQTPVDo5tDrHPHL--5hg5q

[@adt_freetime9126]

Buongiorno Davide! Come promesso, il mio primo violino costruito grazie ai tuoi video è finito, vorrei portartelo a vedere a Cremona un sabato, e se fossi così gentile vorrei provarne uno tuo! Quando possiamo organizzare? Se mi dai una mail magari ti scrivo in privato, grazie mille

[@DavideSora]

Trovi la mia e-mail qui: davidesora.altervista.org/trovaci-2/contatti/

[@ricoloco2803]

Title your videos in the same language as the video and you probably won't get as many thumbs down...

[@DavideSora]

You can find the English translation of the text with timestamps in the description page

[@KenFullman]

@@DavideSoraNow you tell us. I had google translate open in a separate tab typing it all manually. 😀

[@DavideSora]

@@KenFullman 😄 Always check the description page first, it's an essential rule for KZbinrs😉

[@KenFullman]

@@DavideSoraSounds like a plan. You know what they say, "if you;'re looking for something, it's always in the last place you look"

[@DavideSora]

@@KenFullman 😇